Staff Reporter
FREAK August storms caused chaos in Madrid, Barcelona and other parts of Spain on Friday, as hail pelted down and heavy rain caused disruption to transport.
The flooding saw the Metro de Madrid and Cercanias commuter train network suffer serious delays, in areas such as the central Atocha neighbourhood and the Puerta del Sol.
The Cercanias trains were also affected in Sol station, due to water accumulating in the tunnels under the area.
The heavy rainfall began at around 3pm, and provided spectacular images such as rivers of water coursing down the Paseo de Recoletos boulevard as well as hail on the Gran Via.
In Barcelona, meanwhile, a week of extremely hot weather gave way to storms that hit not just the city, but also the rest of the Catalunya region.
As much as 30 litres of rain per square metre fell in just 30 minutes, as well as hailstones measuring as big as four centimetres across.
There were also strong winds and lightning bolts.
The municipality of Sant Pere de Torello suffered major damage, with images of smashed roof tiles circulating on social media.
In Castellón province, heavy rain and hail also fell, while a tornado also formed in the municipality of El Toro.
And in Benidorm, a heavy storm that lasted around 15 minutes brought with it rain and small hailstones.
